Posted
by Jake McElveen
(07/23/2020)
Clarendon County Council passed a resolution last week suggesting that its citizens wear face masks while they are in public. Manning City Council passed an Ordinance demanding that citizens wear a mask while they are in public. This opened up a lot of conversation in the general public about where, and where not, a mask is required; as well as what, and what is not, mandated. To answer this question, the definition of a local governments resolution and/or ordinance needs to be explored.
To start, Clarendon County currently has a face mask resolution in place, as voted on by council in last weeks meeting. What does this mean? A resolution, by definition, is the “official expression of the opinion or will of a legislative body.” This means that this is nothing more than a strong suggestion to the citizens of Clarendon. While this does not hold any legal consequences for someone caught in violation, others might argue that it holds moral consequences. While you may not be fined by the county for refusing to wear a face mask, some may say the possibility of spreading a deadly disease is worse.